title: How to integrate the aging of employees into occupational health policies: the approach of a French company.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Since 2010, French companies must integrate or retain seniors to avoid a fine of 1% of their payroll.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  This work examines how to integrate the aging of employees into occupational health policies.
  
  
  METHODS
  The literature on the complex relationships between age, work and health has been reviewed, and the feasibility of potential actions has been addressed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In the company setting, few diseases are specific to seniors. With retirement age postponing, chronic diseases may appear more frequently in people still working. Physiological aging linked to a functional decline is variable. Occupational wear and tear can result in some functional deterioration. Seniors can experience difficulties coping with heavy time demands that restrict their ability to organize the work, with physical stresses due to their diminished muscular capacity, and with unconventional schedules that have long-term deleterious effects on sleep quality and alertness.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This position paper makes recommendations for adapting work organization and occupational medical care. Protective measures for seniors should be integrated in a global approach to improving work conditions for all. Aging employees need some leeway to develop experience-based strategies for bypassing new difficulties. Revising work rhythms and developing autonomy seem to be means for progress.
authors.affiliation: Health Corporate Delegation, EDF SA, Levallois-Perret, France.
authors.forename: Monique
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bonnet-Belfais
authors.affiliation: Health Corporate Delegation, EDF SA, Levallois-Perret, France.
authors.forename: Jean-François
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Cholat
authors.affiliation: Employment Unit for Ile-de-France Area, EDF SA, Levallois-Perret, France.
authors.forename: Denis
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Bouchard
authors.affiliation: Health Corporate Delegation, EDF SA, Levallois-Perret, France.
authors.forename: Charles
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Goulfier
authors.affiliation: Research and Development Unit, EDF SA, Levallois-Perret, France.
authors.forename: Adina
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Casselle
authors.affiliation: Health Corporate Delegation, EDF SA, Levallois-Perret, France.
authors.forename: Jean
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Schram
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000375:Aging; D005260:Female; D005602:France; D006291:Health Policy / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009786:Occupational Health Services / Q000379:methods* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D016134:Organizational Policy; D012179:Retirement / Q000706:statistics & numerical data
keywords: Organization of work; autonomy; human resource management; occupational physical and mental wear and tear; shift work